Agonist Recognition, Intersections, and the Ambivalence of Family Bonds: John Dewey's Critical Theory Manifesto in China

Abstract

John Dewey’s lectures in China, delivered at Peking University in 1919–1920, are currently available to us in two different forms: as a translation into English from a Chinese transcript of Dewey’s oral English talks, and as the notes Dewey wrote for himself as “plot outline” for the lectures. In the paper, I argue that a conjunct reading of the two texts conveys the unique opportunity to reconstruct Dewey’s outline of a critical social philosophy. I suggest to call this outline a “critical theory manifesto,” since it presents many significant similarities with other critical-theoretical motives belonging to the Hegelian-Marxian tradition of Critical Theory. In the first part of the article, I expound on the similarities between Dewey and, in particular, Marx, Horkheimer, Adorno, and Honneth. In the second part of the paper, I highlight three original points made by Dewey that represent an improvement of Marxian-Hegelian critical theory, since they allow to build bridges between this particular critical-theoretical “school” and other critical approaches to society and politics. These points consist in: (a) Dewey’s idea of struggle for public recognition between groups; (b) the inter-sectionalist inspiration of Dewey’s social philosophy; (c) Dewey’s ambivalent assessment of intimate relationships.